Lawyers, judges, mediators, mental health professionals and others who deal with high-conflict cases, especially in family law, unwittingly entered a high-risk profession. They don't enter law or grad school with a desire to someday have clients who can be the most volatile and dangerous in society, putting themselves at risk both physically and emotionally.

Relationship Expert Megan Hunter talks about real life lessons we can learn from reality television using examples from actual reality shows, on the Lowdown.

How many times have you heard a friend say, “It seems that I am always picking the wrong kind of person to date?” Maybe you’ve even said this yourself, after coming out of a true nightmarish relationship. But what if you never allowed that first or second date to go any further?

In a previous article in which I crowned EMPATHY as king when dealing with high-conflict personalities—those folks who are the most toxic, the most difficult of difficult people—I  asked for feedback from readers. You were kind with your comments and thoughtful with your suggestions. The comment that resonated the most was this:

High-conflict cases in the courts and high-conflict personalities (HCPs) in the workplace get a lot of play these days and we're seeing more people than ever claiming expertise in dealing with them. But should they? What qualifies anyone as an expert, or even moderately competent, to take on a high-conflict case, workplace or other dispute?

Do you catch yourself using LOGIC and EXPLANATIONS when interacting with most people? It's natural and routine. We expect people to respond to logic, but it doesn't always work and sometimes it backfires, especially with people who may have a high-conflict personality (HCP).

Anyone who has launched a business (or practice) kicks it off with exuberance and dreams of freedom and unlimited potential. It starts with a great idea coupled with boundless enthusiasm about the future. We put in the effort to develop protocols, policies and procedures so we can have an efficiently run business and off we go to fulfill our life's purpose.

When red flags arise, they often aren't as obvious as we'd think. Here, experts break down which ones to watch out for—and how to fix them.